Civil Rights During Reconstruction Lesson

Lesson Overview

• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Black Codes
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: 13th Amendment
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Reconstruction Act
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Impeachment of Johnson
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Jim Crow Laws
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: 14th and 15th Amendments
• Fact-Based Q/A
• Related Topics
• Conclusion

Civil Rights During Reconstruction were laws, events, and amendments that aimed to give African Americans equal rights after slavery ended in the United States.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Black Codes

Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War to control African Americans and keep them in a lower social position. These laws limited rights to vote, work freely, own property, or move without restriction.

Worked Example:

A law in Mississippi allowed Black people to be arrested for being unemployed. Once arrested, they could be forced into unpaid labor on plantations or in public works.

Quick Tip:

Black Codes targeted freed people and blocked their freedom.

Mini-quiz:

What was the main purpose of the Black Codes?

A) To help African Americans vote
B) To limit the rights of African Americans
C) To protect African American workers
D) To expand education access

Correct Answer: B

These laws were meant to restrict freedom, not expand it.

FAQ:

What were Black Codes during Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

They were laws that restricted African Americans' freedom after slavery ended.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment made slavery illegal in the United States in 1865. It ended forced labor and freed millions of African Americans, but did not guarantee them equal rights or fair treatment.

Worked Example:

A former slave in South Carolina gained legal freedom after the 13th Amendment passed, but still faced harsh restrictions under Black Codes that limited job choices and movement.

Quick Tip:

The 13th Amendment ended slavery but not discrimination.

Mini-quiz:

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

A) Gave African Americans voting rights
B) Ended slavery
C) Guaranteed equal education
D) Created the Freedmen's Bureau

Correct Answer: B

It ended slavery-not all forms of racism or injustice.

FAQ:

What did the 13th Amendment change during Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

It ended slavery across the United States in 1865.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Reconstruction Act

The Reconstruction Act put the South under military control and forced states to write new constitutions that gave voting rights to Black men. It was Congress's effort to rebuild the South while protecting freedmen's rights.

Worked Example:

Louisiana had to create a new constitution and allow African American men to vote before rejoining the Union, as part of its military district's requirements.

Quick Tip:

The Reconstruction Act made states earn back entry into the Union.

Mini-quiz:

What did the Reconstruction Act require?

A) Black Codes in each state
B) Military districts and new constitutions
C) Segregated schools
D) A return to slavery laws

Correct Answer: B

It was Congress's plan to ensure rights-not restrict them.

FAQ:

What did the Reconstruction Act do during Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

It created military districts and required Southern states to protect voting rights.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Impeachment of Johnson

Impeachment means charging a government official with wrongdoing. President Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 for resisting civil rights laws, but was not removed from office.

Worked Example:

Johnson tried to block laws that protected African Americans, and Congress impeached him. He remained in office but lost much political power.

Quick Tip:

Impeachment is an accusation, not automatic removal.

Mini-quiz:

What happens when a president is impeached?

A) They are removed
B) They are accused
C) They go to prison
D) They retire

Correct Answer: B

Impeachment means being charged-it's not the final verdict.

FAQ:

What does impeachment mean in Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

It means a government official was formally accused of wrongdoing.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in public spaces and services. Though they claimed to provide "separate but equal" facilities, African Americans usually received far worse conditions.

Worked Example:

A Black student in Alabama had to attend a poorly funded school far from home, while white students had newer schools nearby with better supplies.

Quick Tip:

"Separate but equal" was rarely equal in practice.

Mini-quiz:

What was the main goal of Jim Crow laws?

A) Promote integration
B) Keep races separated
C) Improve education
D) Create jobs for African Americans

Correct Answer: B

Jim Crow enforced separation-not fairness or inclusion.

FAQ:

What were Jim Crow laws during Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

They were laws that separated races and limited African American access to services.

Civil Rights During Reconstruction: 14th and 15th Amendments

The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S., including former slaves. The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote and banned race-based voting rules.

Worked Example:

After 1868, a former slave born in Georgia became a U.S. citizen. In 1870, the 15th Amendment gave him the right to vote-although some states still used literacy tests to block it.

Quick Tip:

14th = citizenship; 15th = voting rights.

Mini-quiz:

What did the 15th Amendment do?

A) Made segregation illegal
B) Gave voting rights to African American men
C) Gave women the right to vote
D) Created the Freedmen's Bureau

Correct Answer: B

If wrong: It was focused on voting rights-not education or gender equality.

FAQ:

What were the 14th and 15th Amendments during Civil Rights During Reconstruction?

They gave citizenship and voting rights to African American men.

Fact-Based Q/A

1. What was the purpose of the Black Codes?

A) To offer jobs
B) To limit freedom
C) To protect rights
D) To build schools

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: These laws restricted rights, not protected them.

2. What did the 13th Amendment do?

A) Ended segregation
B) Ended slavery
C) Gave women voting rights
D) Created new schools

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: It ended slavery-civil rights came later.

3. What did the Reconstruction Act create?

A) Segregated schools
B) Military districts
C) Voting bans
D) Black Codes

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: It was a way to supervise fair reconstruction.

4. What does impeachment mean?

A) Automatic removal
B) Accusation of wrongdoing
C) Prison sentence
D) Public protest

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: It's a formal accusation-not removal from office.

5. What did Jim Crow laws enforce?

A) Equal rights
B) Racial separation
C) Voting access
D) School reform

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: Jim Crow laws separated people by race.

6. What did the 15th Amendment guarantee?

A) Citizenship
B) Voting rights for Black men
C) Freedom of speech
D) Equal education

Correct Answer: B

Feedback: It specifically protected the right to vote.

Related Topics

• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Rosa Parks and Bus Protests
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Plessy v. Ferguson
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Literacy Tests and Poll Taxes
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: March on Washington
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Little Rock Nine
• Civil Rights During Reconstruction: Civil Rights Act of 1964

Conclusion

The events, laws, and constitutional amendments that shaped Civil Rights During Reconstruction laid the groundwork for later equality movements. While these changes aimed to protect newly freed African Americans, resistance in many states delayed true progress. Knowing these foundations helps explain the long road to civil rights.